Department of labor and workforce development division of disability services

We help Alaskans with disabilities get and keep good jobs

Duane Mayes, Director

Each year, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) helps hundreds of Alaskans with disabilities prepare for, get and keep good jobs. If you want to work or keep working and have a physical, intellectual or mental condition that makes this hard, you may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services.

Check out DVR on Facebook for all things disability related and sign up for bi-annual updates on our initiatives.

DVR Orientation Video

Video with captions - Transcript - Direct Link to Video Download

Updates

Work Matters Task Force Report

This report contains twenty-two recommendations to expand and improve employment opportunities and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

2022 Model State Plan for VR Services for Deaf People (MSP)

This document provides a deep dive into how to provide meaningful services for deaf people and to improve employment outcomes for this population. It contains a high-level summary of critical issues and action items for VR leadership as well as content for training and professional development for VR professionals.

By 2021, the MSP had not been updated in many years and had become antiquated and obsolete. Alaska DVR took a lead role in rewriting it based on modern best practices and worked with the Deaf Professional Network and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Transition Tools for Teachers, Parents and Students

Guidance and forms on how to refer a student to DVR, JOBZ Club, Summer Work Programs and other Transition program materials as well as an orientation video on how we serve students with disabilities.

More Services

• For Businesses
  Information on hiring a qualified employee with a disability, workplace accommodations, tax credits and other incentives for hiring people with disabilities and assistance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Provisional Hiring For State Hiring Managers [Video]

Disability Resources

• Client Assistance Program (CAP)
  CAP can help if you have questions or problems when applying for or receiving services from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. CAP is run by the Disability Law Center of Alaska.
• State Vocational Rehabilitation Committee
  Governor-appointed volunteers from across Alaska who work with DVR to ensure quality services and provide input on implementing the Assistive Technology Act in Alaska.
• Alaska Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
  Contact information for Alaska's Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs, listed on the Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation website.
• Disability Determination Services
  Disability Determination Services (DDS) is contracted to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to adjudicate medical eligibility for disability benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income rules and regulations.
• Procurement Preference List and Guidelines and FAQ
  Information on disability related preferences in the State of Alaska's competitive solicitations and small procurement processes.
• Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work Program
  The Ticket to Work program is a free, voluntary program that can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work, get a good job that may lead to a career, and become financially independent, all while they keep their Medicare or Medicaid.